New visa to free up travel in world's largest conservation zone

From Aja Harris and Oliver Joy, CNN

updated 8:15 AM EST, Thu December 5, 2013

The Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) is considered the world's largest wildlife preservation. It spans five African nations including Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana.

KAZA has been called "Noah's Ark" and is home to 200 different mammals including the "Big five" --leopards, rhinos, buffaloes, lions and African elephants.

Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world and nearly 110 meters in height, lies on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, falling into the KAZA region.

The Chobe National Park in Botswana is part of KAZA and has more than 650 species of bird, including the African Fish Eagle.

KAZA boasts the continent's largest African Elephant population -- a total of 71, 000 elephants grace Botswana's Chobe district alone.

To preserve and protect the five nations' delicate ecosystems, the five member states are cooperating to pool resources and open borders.

The next step will be to introduce a "KAZA visa" -- a single visa giving tourists access to the entire KAZA area across five countries.

It is home to rhinos, lions and world's largest population of African elephants

The five countries are working to make it easier to cross borders

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Chobe National Park, Botswana (CNN) -- There are few places in the world that conjure the same kind of imagery as the Chobe National Park in Botswana.

Drifting through the savannas, torrents of water wind-off into a sunlit horizon; cheetahs stalk their prey as flocks of gazelle prance through the long, parched grass; and African elephants traverse hundreds of miles in search of greener pastures and fresh watering holes.

Poniso Shamukuni, a professional guide at Botswana's Chobe Park, said the country's environment and wildlife is like no other.

"I enjoy seeing the biodiversity and I enjoy seeing the natural resources," he added, "when tourists are really into it... taking pictures of animals, I also enjoy that."

An oasis of wildlife, located in northern Botswana, Chobe is part of an international conservation region in southern Africa, spanning five countries and nearly 440,000 square kilometers. The Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area -- known as KAZA -- is a partnership between Angola, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Namibia.

Twice the size of the UK and larger than Germany and Austria combined, KAZA is considered the world's largest wildlife preservation. The area draws tourists from all over globe and is also home to Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, located on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia.

To protect the region's natural beauty and attract tourists and investors worldwide, international cooperation between the five countries aims to pool resources to preserve each nation's delicate ecosystem while also opening borders.

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But visa restrictions mean that traveling between countries is an exasperating and tricky affair for visitors.

An international pact would allow visitors to experience the full extent of Africa's natural wonders.

Tourists visiting KAZA can see the continent's "Big Five" of leopards, rhinos, buffalo, lions and the world's largest population of African elephants, as well as 650 different species of birds and 160 types of fish.

Safari holidaymakers also have the opportunity to spot rare creatures roaming the region's dusty plains, including the black rhino, cheetahs and African wild dogs.

Botswana in particular is considered one of the most stable and safe countries for tourists in Africa. The country has a blossoming economy and financial services industry with GDP per capita -- an indicator of a country's living standard -- one of the highest in Africa.

Shamukuni believes Botswana's growing international reputation is key to attracting more visitors.

"Botswana is a very safe country," he said. "As a country our economy is doing well. We're politically stable and lots of tourists want to go to the places where they feel it's safe."